Articles Posted in FTC Antitrust Highlights

On October 31st, the European Commission cleared the proposed acquisition of Bayer Diagnostics, the diagnostic division of Bayer Healthcare, a business unit of Bayer AG of Germany, by Siemens AG of Germany. The Commission concluded that the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area or any substantial part of it.…

On November 22, the nation’s two largest funeral home and cemetery chains reached an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission, which contended that Service Corporation International’s (SCI) proposed acquisition of Alderwoods Group Inc. would lessen competition in 47 markets for funeral or cemetery services, leaving consumers with fewer choices and the prospect of higher prices…

On October 20, the Federal Trade Commission announced its decision to challenge Barr Pharmaceutical, Inc.’s proposed acquisition of Pliva for approximately $2.5 billion. The FTC’s complaint alleges that the acquisition as originally structured would have eliminated current or future competition between Barr and Pliva in certain markets for generic pharmaceuticals treating depression, high blood pressure…

On October 20, the European Commission cleared the proposed acquisition by Hewlett Packard Company of control over the U.S. software company Mercury Interactive Corporation. The Commission concluded that the proposed transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area or any substantial part of it. Hewlett Packard is a technology solution provider…

The Commission charged on October 17 that Thermo Electron Corporation’s proposed $12.8 billion acquisition of Scientific International, Inc. would harm competition in the U.S. market for high-performance centrifugal vacuum evaporators (“CVEs”) in violation of the antitrust laws. Thermo and Fisher are the only two significant suppliers of high-performance CVEs in the United States and the…

On October 3, the Federal Trade Commission announced its decision to intervene in the formation of United Launch Alliance, L.L.C. (ULA), a proposed joint venture between The Boeing Company and Lockheed Martin Corporation. The FTC’s complaint alleges that by combining the only two suppliers of U.S. government medium to heavy (MTH) launch services the joint…

The Commission, with the concurrence of the Acting U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, has authorized the release of the Twenty-Eighth Annual Report to Congress Regarding the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Premerger Notification Program. The report summarizes Commission and Department of Justice (DOJ) actions conducted under the HSR Act in fiscal year 2005, noting that 1,695 premerger…

The Federal Trade Commission today told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the agency protects health care consumers from anti-competitive conduct by enforcing antitrust laws, and that the FTC is committed to working with physicians and other providers to give them guidance to avoid antitrust pitfalls as they respond to market challenges. “The agency will bring…

It was announced on September 6, 2006 that an operation placing spyware on consumers' computers in violation of federal laws will give up more than $2 million to settle Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) charges. Under a stipulated final judgment and order, the defendants are permanently prohibited from interfering with a consumer's computer use, including but…

Following a public comment period, the Commission has approved the issuance of a final consent order in the matter concerning Linde AG's acquisition of The BOC Group. The vote approving issuance of the final order was 5-0. Authored by: Robert W. Doyle, Jr. 202-589-1839 rdoyle@dbmlawgroup.com